Cooking basa fish fillets en papillote (in paper) is a great way to cook them from frozen. The ice on the fish turns into extra steam, which keeps the delicate white flakes incredibly moist while the paper protects them from drying out in the oven’s harsh heat.
If your fillets are fresh you will need to adjust the cooking time as shown below. The recipe given is for a single fillet, adjust accordingly.
Ingredients
- 1 frozen basa fillet
- 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 slices fresh lemon
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ tsp dried oregano or a fresh sprig of parsley or thyme
- a pinch of sea salt and cracked black pepper
- a small handful of spinach leaves or thinly sliced courgette
Method
- Cut a large square of Baking Paper.
- Fold each square in half and cut out a large half heart shape. When opened, you’ll have a symmetrical heart shape (see ‘En Papilote Cut Shape’ below).
- Place a few spinach leaves or courgette slices on one side of the heart. Lay the basa fillet directly on top.
- Drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice. Season with the salt and pepper and place the lemon slices and your herbs on top of the fish.
- Fold the other half of the heart over the fish. Starting at the top of the heart (the rounded part), make small, tight, overlapping triangular folds all the way down the edge. Each fold should pin down the previous one to create a physical lock. When you reach the bottom point twist it tightly to complete the airtight seal.
- Place the parcels on a baking tray. Bake at 200°C (180°C fan) for 20–25 minutes (for frozen). A fresh fillet will require around 10 to 12 minutes. Chunky fillets will require a little longer.
- The parchment parcel should be puffed up like a pillow from the internal steam. Press the top of the parcel gently with a finger; the fish should feel firm and springy, not soft or “squishy.” Once opened, the flesh should be solid white and flake easily when nudged with a fork.
- Leave the parcels sealed on the side for 2 minutes after taking them out of the oven. This allows the residual steam to finish the cooking process gently, ensuring the edges don’t dry out while the centre catches up.
- If the fish is not cooked through, just pleat the paper back up and give it another 5 minutes.
En Papilote Cut Shape
